Who Could Ever Compete With The Moon? The True Stories Of The Astronaut Wives Club

Trudy Cooper

Cooper and family

Photo by Betmann/Getty Images

Wife of Gordo Cooper, Trudy was also a licensed pilot – something not that common in 1950s America. Trudy was a largely quiet woman, seemingly shy in the press. The pair married in 1947, after meeting when Trudy was a flight instructor.

They had two daughters together, Camala Keoki and Janita Lee, who were both still little at the time of their parents’ fame. The couple would later go on to divorce in 1971, but a lot happened in their 24 years of marriage. Not only did the press catch on to a lot of it, but much of the drama was covered up, too.